The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-03-15
Che 9aily 8allstin.
TUESDAY. MAR. Is. 1887.
GREAT BARRIER MURDER.

lneRlSUIuT Va Viz OVpiChS SoUhe(t
Drs. Walker, Brad, Cobbett, and
Phllson, Messrs. +. p. Donnelly,
Alfred Crocker, and Press repre-
sentatives. Mr.. Superintendent
Thomson, Sergeant Pratt, and De-
tective Tuohy were also in the prison
yard.
Shortly before eight O'Clock the
hangman, Lewis, who was scarcely
disguised with a Grape veil, through
which his features were plainly
visible, entered the enclosure in
which the gallows was erected, from
the refractory-yard, and took away
the pinioning straps from the scat
fold. Just then the prison bell
tolled, and the procession entered
from the refractory-yard, headed by
Mr.. Reston, Governor Of the Gaol,
and DR.. Philson, followed immedi-
ately by Caffrey between the Rev.
j. S. Hill and a warder, and i'm
mediately after them came Penn
between Mr.. Brakenrig and a
warder, the procession closing with
number Of warders.
The condemned men walked up
the ladder to the platform with a
firm tread, but without the slightest
bravado. They were calm and APP
parently quite happy, and just be-
fore the white caps were drawn over
their faces they leaned forward and
kissed each other.
Mr.. Hill engaged in prayer on the
scaffold, and as he concluded sud-
denly the drop fell, and the startling
simultaneous thud of both ropes,
which had drop of eight feet, cleo
trified those present, and all was
over. There was not the slightest
vibration of either rope, and, with a
feeling of satisfaction, all present
saw that death in each instance had
been instantaneous.
After an hour had elapsed, the
bodies were taken down, and form
ally examined by DR.. Philson and
DIR. Goblet, who, of course, found
life extinct. 1t was ascertained
that the the necks Of both had been
dislocated, and that death must have
been instantaneous.
An inquest as required by law,
was held at ten o'clock, in the Gaol,
before Mr.. r. G. Barstow, Coroner,
and a jury, consisting Of Mr.. j. L.
Brimblecombe (foreman) land Messrs.
j. Tighe, T. Hedger, S. Swain, L.
Cunning, and John Hatton, (who
had been empanelled in the neigh
borhood. The evidence Of Major
Green (Sheriff), Mr.. Reston, Gov
ernor of the Gaol), and of Drs.
Philson and Goblet having been
taken, the jury returned q verdict
that the deceased were executed in
accordance with law.
Owing to the hour at which the
condemned men were to be buried
being published in one of the even
ing papers on Saturday, the burial
of the condemned men had to be
postponed. Their funeral took
place during the course of Feb. %,
at Waikomiti cemetery, in the Angli-
can consecrated ground, permission
having been accorded for that pur-
pose. The arrangements were in
the hands Of Mr.. George Leaning,
undertaken, who conducted the
funeral precisely in the same man
ner as in ordinary cases in private
life. The Rev. j. S. Hill read the
service at the grave, and Mr.. Brak-
enrig also took part in the proceed
ings.
Penn left his Bible in his cell open
where he had been reading. 1t was
the 53rd chapter of Isaiah.
AS the hangman was pinioning
Caffrey, and fixing the belt round
his waist, Caffrey complained of the
belt being too tight, as he was suf-
fering from cramp in the stomach,
and adjusted the belt to his own
liking.
AS Caffrey and Penn were stand
ing to attention pinioned, listening
to the reading Of the lengthy death
warrants by the Sheriff, and Penn
remarked to Mr.. Hill, ''This is the
valley you spoke off," and Mr.. Hill
replied, in the passage from the 23d
Psalm, "Yea, though / walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, l
will fear no evil; for thou art with
me; thy rod and thy staff they
comfort me-"
Even after the white caps had
been drawn over the faces of the
men Mr.. Hill could hear them re-
citing the lines of the hymn, "Jesus,
Lover of My Soul" till the bolt was
drawn.
During the time of execution,
Mrs. Calder, wife of the incumbent
of All Saints Church, Ponsonby,
with great kindness and forethought
went to the residence of Mrs. Penn,
SEM, and did what lay in her power
to comfort the bereaved and angu-
ished mother.
Caffrey and Penn were sentenced
to death on a Saturday. On Sunday,
Caffrey told Mr.. Hill he desired to
make a statement, when the latter
told him TO wait till the Monday.
Next day Caffrey said he was desir-
GUS that Penn should state the whole
truth concerning the affair, and then
| he WAC pranarad To mnnt hir fata